1. Technical Field
The discovery affects a rotor hub cover for a helicopter according to the general term of claim 1.
A helicopter's rotor blades are mechanically attached to a rotor hub and connected to a rotor mast. The rotor mast turns the rotor hub and thereby the rotor blades. Aerodynamic losses at the rotor hub represent a significant proportion of the air resistance of the entire helicopter. In addition to impairing the flight performance and flight properties, aerodynamically poorly constructed rotor hubs can also lead to increased vibrations, whereby the tail rotor in particular can be negatively affected by air turbulence. Great value is therefore placed on the optimization of the aerodynamic design of modern helicopters' main rotors.
2. Background Information
Arranging rotor hubs in an aerodynamically non-resistant manner is based on U.S. Pat. No. 3,056,456, 3,217,811, 5,156,527 and 7,510,377.
In addition, the use of electrically motivated rotor components such as: pitch hinges, push rods or active systems for minimizing vibrations; is known; such components include equipment arranged as a rule between electrical power supplies and loads for controlling, switching and regulating electrical energy. This equipment includes performance parts, meaning performance electrical components and control and regulation parts, meaning electrical control components as well as potential additional equipment. For example, circuit boards are used as the mounts for the electronic components. Experts are familiar with integrated circuit technology (ICT) and the functional manner of circuit boards, so that further explanations can be avoided regarding them.
These electrical control and performance electronic components are exceptionally complex. For a variety of reasons, it may be necessary or desirable to arrange these components, at least in part, on the helicopter's rotor hub inside of a rotor hub cover. These reasons include, for example, signal transmission from the rotor hub subject to disruptions to the helicopter's body or high losses of performance over long stretches of cable between performance electronic packages, meaning the electrical performance components and the electrically driven rotor components.
According to the state-of-the-technology, housing for control and performance electronics components on a rotor mast have a cylindrical or drum-shaped geometry. One major disadvantage of these cylindrical covers lies in the high aerodynamic resistance in flight operation. In addition, the control and performance electronic components must frequently be cooled by means of cooling systems containing gaseous, liquid or solid materials or mixtures appropriate for removing heat that are expensive both in terms of construction and cost.